Some “historical” newsstands survive, some have been transformed into small bazaars of souvenirs, trinkets and toys, others converted into newspaper kiosks or information points such as for Expo 2015 in Milan or dispensers of alcohol and foods like in Rome.
The newsstands that have not changed over time, are simulacra of realities that are disappearing and, adorned with writings in a multitude of languages, in a slow but implacable decay they also remain silent witnesses of a society in constant motion.
This and much more is what Luca Morgantini‘s photographs want to demonstrate in his Edicole: oggi e domani project.
“Since 2001, around 13,000 newsstands have closed throughout the country. This is almost one third of the total, which reduces the kiosks and resellers of publishing products to around 28,000 units. It is estimated that around 18,000 “pure” newsstands are still active throughout our country, thus excluding tobacconists, service stations, and stationery shops that also sell newspapers and that – according to an estimate by Sinagi, the national newsagents’ union – over 10,000 kiosks will seriously risk don’t get there until the next decade.”
Thus, to survive the wear and tear of modern life, they are transforming from “little temples” dedicated to information to interdisciplinary and multifunctional kiosks.
In Luca Morgantini’s photographs, the newsstands are already immersed into a retro aura, a catalog of images as evidence of what they used to be, the last bastions of pleasant stops to peek at scoops and breaking news.
After completing his studies in General Biology, Luca Morgantini studied photography in Florence – the Apab International School of Photography and Istituto Marangoni – and in Boston at the New England School Of Photography (NESOP). Documentary photographer who currently works in Berlin, he is mainly engaged in social and scientific issues, dedicating all his efforts to portraying his own interpretation of reality through the lens of the camera. Among the numerous collaborations such as the photographer Alessandro Bencini, Fzero Studio, e-Pitti, De Biasi, he has also worked with the Terra Project collective and is now developing his own photographic projects around the world. He teaches photography at the Istituto Michelangelo in Florence as well as assignments for events, advertising and fashion as a freelance photographer. There are numerous exhibitions of his projects in galleries and artist studios in Italy and abroad.
All images courtesy of the artist.
